


An Alpha by Any Other Name

by haylches



Series: An Alpha by Any Other Name [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alpha Command, Alpha Keith, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Keith has a dirty mouth, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Lance, Omegaverse, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-03 13:55:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15820230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haylches/pseuds/haylches
Summary: His heat was coming.Really, that shouldn’t be a problem. He had a mate, a house, and plenty of food and space. Many omegas would kill for such an opportunity, but Lance couldn’t help but stress. A light itch was spreading on his skin, and he was worried how his mate would react to the situation.——————Lance realizes that his mate is a little less than perfect, but after one heat gone wrong, Lance finds himself alone and helpless. How could he ever find love again?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all! Welcome to my omegaverse fic. Just a couple disclaimers:  
> 1\. This represents an abusive relationship, so please read with caution  
> 2\. I am terribly sorry for using an o/c in this fic. I really hate them usually, and I try to avoid it, but I just didn’t like any of the canon character options

Lance blew a light breath over the hot mug in his hands, watching the steam curl into the air. He shifted on the small loveseat, and his sweater brushed against sensitive skin. A warm fire flickered in the hearth, and gentle snowflakes fell outside his window. It was warm and safe, but he was still feeling tense.

His heat was coming.

Really, that shouldn’t be a problem. He had a mate, a house, and plenty of food and space. Many omegas would kill for such an opportunity, but Lance couldn’t help but worry. A light itch was spreading on his skin, and he was worried how his mate would react to the situation.

Aeron had been his mate for almost a year now, and they were... happy. Yeah. Happy with each other. Aeron let him move into his mid-sized home, and wouldn’t even think of making Lance work for a single thing. In fact, he was downright against him getting a job. He gave him a sizable allowance every month, and Lance was happy to help spruce up the home and cook meals for his mate.

It was a little lonely, he’d admit. His mate worked for a popular alpha pharmacy, handling their advertisements and customer support. With such a busy job, and at such a high position, he was gone on business trips rather often. Even when he was in town, he still had to work the typical 8-5.

His mate would spend time with him in the evenings, though. At home, of course. Aeron didn’t like to go out much; he let his alpha get the best of him sometimes. One time they went out to a restaurant (after a considerable amount of pleading on Lance’s part) and Aeron had been downright unpleasant to their alpha waiter. He ranted about how unnatural it was for an alpha to be in this line of work, and how the waiter wouldn’t keep his eyes off his mate. He punched the poor man after he asked if Lance would like any dessert, and Lance had been forced to drag him out of the establishment in shame.

Needless to say, his mate didn’t play well with others. It wasn’t really a huge deal, though, it just meant he cared. Besides, Aeron had never laid a finger on him. Not only that, but he’d never used his alpha voice on him. Not once. That was almost unheard of, especially considering how awful Aeron’s temper could get.

So Lance was lucky. He had a roof over his head, money in his pockets, and an alpha to take care of him. It was perfect. Wonderful. He had no reason to worry about something as trivial as a heat. It was natural for omegas. Healthy. Aeron wouldn’t be angry about it, surely.

Lance remembered the first time he’d gone into heat after their mating. He’d been rather excited to experience a heat with a partner, happy to skip the painful and lonely event that he’d known his whole life. Unfortunately, Aeron was called away on business the day before, leaving Lance to suffer through the extra-intense heat alone. That’s the danger, though, in being with someone as successful as his mate was. Besides, surely this heat would be different. 

He’d been resisting the urge to nest for a couple days now, knowing that Aeron didn’t like them much. It was a little painful, but he could bear to wait for a little longer. His heat wasn’t going to start for at least another three days, but pre-heat was starting to hit him hard. He could feel the hot liquid filling his gut, the crawling itch that covered his skin, but he steadfastly ignored it. He needed to keep composure in order to discuss the situation with his mate.

He heard the front door open with a creak, and he glanced at the clock warily. 6:30. A little late, but earlier than it could’ve been.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and he schooled both his scent and expression to remain neutral.

Aeron stopped right behind him, and he swirled his tea gently.

“Hey, baby,” his mate murmured, and strong arms surrounded him.

“Hello, darling. How was work?” he replied naturally.

“Mm. It was long.”

“I noticed,” Lance chuckled. “You’re home almost an hour later than usual.” The arms around him stiffened slightly, and he froze at the faint scent of anger in the air.

“I had lots to catch up on.”

Lance took a deep breath, his head tilting slightly to show his neck more. 

“I’m sorry, darling. Dinner’s almost ready if you want to eat. Are you hungry?”

The angry scent dissipated, and Lance took a quiet, shuddering breath.

“I’m starving, babe. What a perfect little housewife, cooking for me. I hope you didn’t get too lonely.”

“No, I was fine.”

“Good.”

The arms around him lifted, and he slowly rose to face his mate.

Aeron looked a little worse for wear. His blond hair was ruffled, as if he’d run his hands through it angrily. Dark circles hung under his sharp grey eyes, and his strong jaw was clenched.

Lance gave him a bright smile, cupping his mug to his chest.

“I’ll set the table, darling. Go take a seat, I’ll be right there.” His mate only grunted, turning to slump into one of their two chairs. Lance made quick work of the table, and soon they were digging in. The sound of silverware clinking gently was the only noise, and Lance felt another wave of itches crawling up his body.

_Nest nest nest nest nest--_

He studiously ignored his instincts, setting his cup down with a light thump.

“Darling, I need to talk to you about something,” he started, breaking the suffocating silence. His mate only rose his head in surprise, looking up from the spoonful of food he’d been about to shove in his mouth.

“Yeah? Is it important?”

Lance pushed past his instinct to submit right then and there, only nodding his head.

“Yes.”

Aeron leaned back in his chair, an eyebrow raised. “Ok. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“My heat’s coming.”

Lance waited with baited breath, studying the alpha in front of him. Aeron didn’t say anything, just stared at him. Slowly, the thick scent of arousal filled the room, and Lance choked a little on the smell of smoke and sparking flames.

“When?” Aeron finally said. Lance tried to avoid breathing through his nose.

“Soon. Three days or so. I probably need to start building a nest.”

Aeron continued to stare at him, and Lance started to squirm under the thick scent and heavy gaze.

Finally, Aeron broke into a smile, and Lance let out a breath of relief.

“That’s fine, baby. You can build yourself one of those nests that omegas like so much.”

Lance’s heartbeat quickened, and his instincts screamed at him.

_Nest nest nest nest nest nest nest nest nest NEST NEST NEST NEST—_

“Thank you, Alpha,” he said, glancing at his untouched food. “I’ll start on it tomorrow, so if you could avoid coming into the bedroom—“

“I want to watch you make it.”

Lance looked up in shock. Aeron just stared at him, casual as could be.

“I... You... You want to watch me build it?” he finally croaked out.

_No no no no no no no no no no—_

“Yeah. I’ve always been curious about that kind of thing.”

Lance searched desperately for a good reason to refuse. There wasn’t really any. There wasn’t anything wrong with Aeron watching, it was just... it just made him uncomfortable. He didn’t want his mate to see it until it was done. But on the other hand, refusing his mate’s request mightmake him take back his permission. Which was worse, a nest his mate saw prematurely or no nest at all?

“Um, yeah. Ok,” he finally said, trying to keep the panic out of his scent.

“Alright. I’ll set up some cameras around the room so I can watch while I’m at work. That’ll be fun for your heat, too.”

Lance immediately felt a wave of relief. His mate wouldn’t be there. It would just be cameras. He could handle cameras.

Then Aeron’s words sunk in a little deeper.

“Wait,” he said slowly. “For my heat?”

“Yeah,” Aeron said with a smirk. “Hopefully I won’t get in trouble for watching at the office. You’ll have to keep it PG for me, baby.”

Lance’s blood was ice.

“I-I thought... I thought you were...” he trailed off. His mate wasn’t going to be at home during his heat? His stomach clenched at the thought. But what did he expect? Aeron had a successful career, he couldn’t waste a week to stay at home with his needy omega. Lance shouldn’t be so selfish.

Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fingers under the table.

“Ok, Alpha. Whatever you think would work best.”

Aeron only grinned, reaching out to stroke Lance’s cheek.

“I knew you would be a good omega. Most of you are so useless, always complaining and whining. You never complain, though, do you? I can love you however I want.”

Lance shivered at the words, the itching feeling returning tenfold.

“Let’s go to bed, baby. I want to get your cute little opening ready for your heat.”

_NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO—_

“Um, usually pre-heat’s kind of a sensitive time. I don’t think I’m up for it tonight, darling.” Lance held his breath. Aeron’s eyes darkened.

“What, I’m not good enough for you? You fucking some other alpha while I’m at work?”

Lance shook his head vigorously.

“No, no, that’s not it. It’s just that pre-heat is a weird time for me, and I don’t think I’d enjoy sex right now.”

“Who said you had to enjoy it?”

Lance’s eyes widened. Aeron didn’t mean that. But... he didn’t laugh it off. His gaze was dark and focused, and the aroused scent was starting to feel suffocating.

Lance finally let out a tight laugh. “Aeron, that’s... that’s not very funny.”

“Don’t laugh at me, omega.”

Lance’s mouth snapped shut, and he could only stare in surprise. Was that an alpha command? It couldn’t be. Aeron didn’t do that.

“Come to bed.” His mate’s voice was dark and gravelly, and Lance found himself following without question. This... was this his alpha voice? It couldn’t be. Aeron promised. Alpha commands are cruel, and illegal to use in most places of the world. It leaves the omega uncomfortable and without true control, and Lance had once shared how nervous the idea made him. The fact that twenty-five percent of the population had the ability to force him into doing anything was a scary thought.

And it was happening. His mate. His mate was forcing him to have sex.

Tears flew down his cheeks as he followed Aeron to the bedroom.

_NO NO FOLLOW LEAVE STAY ALPHA RUN OBEY RUN OBEY OBEY OBEY_

His instincts were a mess, and he let out a low whine. Aeron only turned to him with a smirk. “C’mon, omega. Sit.”

Lance’s knees gave out beneath him, and he collapsed onto the ground with a cry.

“Now stay,” Aeron growled, and Lance let out another whimper.

“I love you,” his mate whispered, running his hands over Lance’s skin. The touch prickled his oversensitive skin, sending sharp jabs of pain shooting across his body.

“Say it back.”

Aeron was touching his dick now, and he let out a silent scream of pain.

_OBEY RUN ALPHA ALPHA PAIN HIDE OBEY OBEY NEST ALPHA_

“I l-love you, t-too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I know this is a little early, but I’ve been pretty inspired with this fic. This chapter kind of got away from me, but in a good way! I think I like it better than my original plan. So yeah, I hope you enjoy! Please be careful reading!

Lance curled into the blanket, burying his head under the familiar scents. Heavy waves of distress were clogging his sinuses, and he wanted to rip out his own glands. He _knew_ he was in distress. He didn’t need his own body to tell him that.

Luckily, Aeron was still at work, and he wouldn’t have to worry about trying to hide his scent. He was fine. He was ok. Everything was fine. There’s nothing wrong with your mate having sex with you. You’re supposed to do that. Aeron hadn’t done anything wrong.

Except maybe use his alpha voice.

Lance shuddered, crawling deeper into his nest. He wanted to hide from the cameras, from the lonely room, from the whole situation. His heat was practically upon him, and the tight throbbing of cramps only mingled with the raging headache that came from his battling instincts. The conflicting needs were fighting each other, and fighting his body as well.

Aeron told him to stay in the nest until he got home. His instincts were telling him to _get food run from alpha get water abandon the nest find his alpha obey his alpha get food get food—_

Yeah. They were a little conflicted. The most pressing need, though, was definitely food.

Shakily, he pulled his phone from the recesses of his nest. Pressing speed dial, he held the phone to his ear nervously.

“ _Baby, we talked about this. You can’t call me while I’m at work.”_

Lance took a deep breath, pushing past the urge to submit. “I know, but it’s an emergency. Do you think you could pick up some food for me? I really need some, Aeron, the nest doesn’t feel right—“

“ _Baby, we have food at home. If you’re hungry, go to the fridge.”_

Lance let out a frustrated huff. “I can’t.”

“ _What?”_

“You told me to stay in the nest.”

There was a short pause.

“ _Ah. Right. Uh, you can leave the nest, baby. Just make sure you stay in the house.”_

Lance let out a relieved sigh, the pressure on his warring instincts dulling considerably.

“Thank you, darling.” He moved to hang up.

“ _Oh, and Lance?”_

“Yeah?”

“ _Don’t tell anyone about what happened, ok? You know I didn’t mean to hurt you._ ”

Lance’s breath hitched. The words were so casual, but they were obviously laced with a deeper meaning. Another command.

“O-ok, Alpha.”

“ _Good boy. I’ll be home soon, alright?”_

“Ok,” Lance replied, stifling a whimper.

“ _Alright, bye.”_

The connection ended with a click, but Lance remained curled in the blankets a little longer. Another command. His alpha had commanded him... what, eight times now? He wasn’t sure, most of the other night had been a blur of pain. Omegas needed pre-heats to prepare their bodies and living space, and Aeron violated that. Did he know what he’d done? He couldn’t possibly.He wouldn’t do that.

A sharp realization hit him, and he was glad he hadn’t left the nest yet or he would have toppled over. Did Aeron even know he’d given the commands? It could have been accidental. That happened fairly often, but usually to much younger alphas. Lance wracked his brain, remembering each command distinctly.

The other night, Aeron’s behavior could have just passed as him playing rough. He liked to do that, sometimes, even if Lance wasn’t necessarily into it. He could have let the commands slip without realizing it, and assumed Lance was just getting into his role. And today... there’s nothing wrong with wanting your mate to stay home, safe. Especially when they’re approaching heat. And of course he’d feel guilty and ashamed about accidentally hurting Lance; nobody deserved to have that kind of thing revealed about them. It changed peoples’ views. Lance wouldn’t want his mate spilling gossip like that, either.

So Aeron was the same. Everything was still the same, except he was going into heat and Aeron would be there. Well, sometimes he would be. It was better than nothing.

Sighing, he dragged himself out of the nest. It was getting hotter, but he ignored the urge to rip off his clothes. He still needed to get food.

The fridge was full of food, but not... not the _right_ food. It was vegetables and seasonings and frozen meats. Ingredients for cooking, not something to reach for when you can barely move. He let out an unhappy whine, throwing cupboards open to find something, anything.

All he managed to scrounge up was a box of granola bars and a bottle of water.

He considered calling Aeron again, but ultimately decided against it. He could do this by himself, dammit, even without leaving the house.

After a quick internet search, he found a grocery store that delivered. Bless modern technology.

A quick little entry of what he needed, and it was on its way. A soft purr rumbled in his chest, and he leaned back in his chair wearily. Holy crow, he was hot. And tired. And horny. He hoped the groceries got there quick.

Twenty minutes or so passed as he slowly got hotter and hotter, but he had the presence of mind to crawl to the door and unlock it before dragging himself back to the nest. He couldn’t last much longer, and he needed to be in his nest before he truly lost all control.

The doorbell rang just as he’d heaved himself onto the bed, and he let out a tired whine.

“Come in!” he shouted, hoping they’d just bring him his food and get it over with. There was a short silence before he heard a muffled voice through the door.

“I can’t hear you, so please just open the door and bring me my fucking food,” Lance shouted.

Another pause, and then the door was slowly opening.

“Sir? I’m not supposed to enter customers’ homes, and you have some papers to sign.”

Lance groaned. This guy sounded like a jerk. Honestly, who cared about dumb rules like not entering houses. Lance could barely _move_.

“Well I’m sorry, but I’m a little bedridden at the moment. I won’t tell anyone you came into my house, just please bring me my stuff.” He meant to sound angry, but he couldn’t help the begging tone that he ended up with. He wouldn’t be able to relax until his nest was complete, and this jerk-wad was keeping him from that.

There was another silence followed by light curses, and Lance smiled self-righteously as he heard pounding steps come down the hall.

“What could possibly be so bad that you can’t even get out of—“ the delivery guy froze in the doorway, and Lance had a sudden realization that this was _an awful idea._

Alpha pheromones flooded the room, and Lance had to bite back a moan. God, this guy smelled good. Like cinnamon and mahogany and something _rich_ , it was so _good_ —

“You’re in heat,” the alpha gritted out, and may Lance just say that this guy was not only the most amazing smelling person on the planet, but he was absolutely gorgeous. His black hair curled over his eyes, framing his dark brow and perfect little scowl. His light skin was practically _glowing_ , and he obviously worked out an unfair amount.

“Yeah,” Lance breathed, his pulse suddenly speeding up considerably.

“Fuck,” the alpha whispered, his knuckles white on the grocery bags. “This was not part of the job description.”

Lance let out a little trill, laughing at the alpha’s reaction. He only stiffened, taking a deep, labored breath.

“Ok. Ok, ok. Patience yields focus. I’m gonna...” A deep breath. “I’m gonna put these bags next to your, uh, nest, and then I’m gonna walk away. Screw paperwork, I’ll just forge it or something.”

Lance watched the alpha carefully as he approached, finding it harder and harder to concentrate. Soon he’d be past words, relying on instinct alone.

The bags dropped to the side of his nest, and he made a happy chirp as he moved to inspect them. It was perfect. Just what his nest needed.

Now he just needed an alpha.

He returned his gaze to the delivery guy, who had shut his eyes tight and was repeating something to himself like some kind of mantra. The alpha took a shaky step backwards, and Lance let out another chirp. He liked this alpha. This alpha brought him food, and he smelled good.

The alpha only took another step, and this time Lance let out a high-pitched whine. The alpha was squeezing his eyes shut, hands over his ears, still repeating the same three words. Why wouldn’t he come? Lance wanted this alpha. He wanted to spend his heat with someone who would bring him food and cuddle him and probably stick his dick in him, too. Yeah, that would be nice.

The alpha was almost at the door now, his steps getting quicker and quicker. Lance couldn’t miss the smell of alpha arousal, and he whined pitifully. Why wouldn’t he come? Didn’t he like the nest? Was there not enough food? Lance checked, it was plenty.

As the alpha finally stepped out of the doorway and towards the exit, Lance grew a little desperate. He couldn’t be abandoned now, not in his most vulnerable state! He had to get his alpha. He had to get out of his nest.

Tears streaming down his sweaty skin, he flopped out of bed, crawling towards the door pitifully. The world was spinning, and it was about all he could do to not pass out on the spot. Pitiful whimpers filled the air, mixing with his scent of potent distress.

He curled onto the hard floor, clutching his stomach tightly. Holy _crow_ , it _hurt_ , and he just wanted an alpha, _needed_ an alpha, or he might just _die_.

The beautiful mahogany and cinnamon smell was slowly dissipating, and Lance cried as it was replaced with fire and smoke. He couldn’t move to take his clothes off; couldn’t move to return to his nest. All he could do was curl into a tighter ball, crying in pain.

A door slammed, and his head shot up. _Alpha. Alpha alpha alpha alpha alpha_.

But it wasn’t the delivery man who entered the room.

Aeron marched through the door, smoke and fire sharpened into an angry point.

“Slut,” his alpha growled, and he whimpered, reaching out to his alpha pleadingly.

“You’ve been having sex behind my back. Even when you _knew_ I’d be watching. You’re disgusting.”

Lance quivered, not quite understanding what was happening, but not liking the smells or tone of voice his alpha had. He bared his neck submissively, begging his alpha to take him to his nest; to fill him, to take care of him. His only response was a low growl.

“That’s not gonna happen, baby.”

Lance yelped in pain as his alpha grabbed him by his throat, digging into his swollen glands painfully. Now he was crying in earnest, shaking and begging to just go back to the nest, stop doing this, just love me, just take care of me.

His alpha only growled, deep and low, baring sharp fangs. Lance sobbed, reaching to touch, to hold, to help because he didn’t know what he did wrong, but his alpha was angry and he just wanted to be safe.

The next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor again. His cheek stung. Had his alpha...? No, he wouldn’t. He was good. Good alpha.

A sharp pain in his gut made his breath stop short, and his eyes widened with tears as he found himself unable to breathe. A few terrifying seconds passed before Lance sucked in a breath, only to have it knocked out of him again as he was thrown against a wall.

His alpha was shouting something, but he didn’t understand, and it hurt so bad and he couldn’t move and everything was just wrong.

He cried and cried and cried and his alpha only responded with pain, throwing him and kicking him and slapping him, and he didn’t know what happened, but the next thing he knew the alpha had grabbed him by the hair and pulled his ear against his mouth.

“Never tell anyone what happened. Never speak my name. Never come to this place again. You’re a worthless whore, and whores belong on the street.”

Lance was reeling from the alpha commands; these ones so much more potent than the ones before. Before he could properly recover, he was met with harsh, biting cold, and something wet that stung his skin and made everything hurt so much worse, and he was alone and cold and nowhere near where he should be. With his alpha. His alpha rejected him. His alpha didn’t want him.

A scream ripped from his throat, and his neck was burning, burning burning surrounded by so much cold and it was so wrong and he couldn’t move and he couldn’t help the wandering thought that told him he wished he were dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAHHH I GOT ART (this is really cool y’all I love it so much)   
> Check out this amazing little comic done by Simply-Yulia. It makes my heart happy, bless my fans k.   
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BnjJ9IxHZJY/?  
> Thanks for reading!!


	3. Chapter 3

Cold. It was cold. So, so cold, and his teeth were chattering. Was he crying? Not sure. Cold. His alpha hated him. He was a bad omega. So cold. What was that sound? Crying? Poor person. Cold cold cold. He wasn’t mated anymore. He lost his alpha. So alone. Nobody to take care of him. Abandoned. Just like his family. So cold. Where was he? Just whiteness. Probably dead. Good. Bad omega. Is this heaven? No, he’s bad. Hell. Funny, wasn’t Hell supposed to be hot? He was so cold.

Crunching. Someone yelling? No, no, be quieter. He wanted to sleep.

Warmth. What? Warmth warmth warmth. What was it? It felt so good. Soft and warm. Smelled so good. Like an alpha. Alpha. His alpha abandoned him. So lonely. Alpha alpha alpha.

No, don’t take it away! So soft! Don’t leave! Don’t leave don’t leave don’t leave please stay. So warm. His teeth were chattering. Don’t let go. Don’t leave. So safe and soft. Nest nest nest. So cold.

So cold.

————

 

“ _Shiro, I don’t know what to do!”_

Mm don’t worry, Alpha.

“ _No, I can’t take him to the fucking hospital. They’d just ask where his alpha was and send him straight back. They won’t operate when he’s in heat.”_

Alpha. His alpha didn’t love him, he was so alone. Smelled good.

“ _Yeah, except that he’s fucking heat-sick. I know what the signs are, Shiro. I’m not an idiot.”_

Anger anger anger. Aeron. Shh, don’t be angry, Alpha.

“ _You’re right. Just get me whatever pillows and shit you have. I’ll take him to the hospital once his heat’s worn off.”_

Mmm, pillows. Nest. So cold. Soft. So cold.

————

Ngh so good so good so good don’t stop so hot so good mmmm more more more don’t stop don’t leave please please stay don’t leave.

Don’t leave.

Stay.

————

Hot hot hot hot hot hot so wet and hot and alpha alpha alpha. So good. Don’t leave. So HOT so hot. Just wanna sleep. Soft. Good alpha.

————

White fingers. So coarse and rough, and gentle. Black hair, so so soft. Strong Alpha. Don’t leave. Violet eyes. Stay. So warm and safe.

Please don’t leave me.

 

————

 

Lance groaned, curling himself into a tighter ball. He could feel the last flames of his heat licking at his gut, but he pushed past the feeling with a grimace. 

Damn, he freaking hurt. Everywhere. If there was an inch of him that wasn’t bruised, he’d be surprised.

Slowly he cracked an eye open, squinting against the light that filtered through the small window.

This wasn’t his nest.

With a surprised yelp, he fell off the bed in a heap. Where was he?? A pile of pillows and blankets—a nest— covered the center of a small bed, reeking of heat and sex. The room itself was mostly bare, with no decorations or knick-knacks laying around. It felt rather lonely.

Grunting, he forced himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the bed. He needed to figure out where he was. Underneath the overwhelming scent of his heat, he could smell something else. Alpha. It was familiar somehow, though he couldn’t quite place his finger on who’s scent it was.

Wait.

His alpha... his alpha abandoned him.

Did that really happen?

He stumbled out the door of the bedroom, finding himself in a small hallway. He could see a kitchen and living room to his right, but he was more focused on the door in front of him.

Throwing it open, he stumbled into the tiny bathroom and over to the mirror.

It was gone.

His Mark was gone, it was gone, he lost his alpha.

A high-pitched whine slid past his lips, morphing into a loud keen. He couldn’t stop the tears that flooded his eyes. His alpha threw him out. While he was in heat, no less. He... he had nowhere to go. Nobody to turn to. What was he going to do? He was fair game for any stupid alpha that happened to catch a whiff, and—

Oh shit.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shitshitshitshit.

He was in an alpha’s apartment.

A strange alpha he didn’t know that he’d spent his heat with.

Fuck.

This was so bad, so so bad.

The sound of a door unlocking made his head whip towards the bathroom door. Shit. The alpha was home, and he was standing butt-naked in their bathroom after spending his heat in their apartment.

Swallowing a panicked breath, he stepped into the bathtub hurriedly. He needed to hide. He drew the curtain around him, cowering against the cold porcelain.

He could hear the alpha moving around, stacking dishes and grumbling to himself. Steps came closer, stopping right outside his door. He froze, one hand over his scent gland, willing his heartbeat to slow.

The alpha let out a stream of curses, then moved away from the room with quick steps. The sharp scent of fear nearly made him cry out, and he clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle any sounds.

The front door opened and closed with a thud of finality, but Lance waited in the silence for ten minutes more. He had to be sure.

Slowly, he crept out of the tub, wincing as he felt his entire body ache in pain. Looking down, he realized he was covered in bandages, blood soaking through a few of them. That was just great. Now he’d have a blood-scent as well as a heat-scent. As if he wasn’t already holding a neon sign that said ‘Mate me! Make me yours!’

He stumbled out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, leaning against the wall heavily. He needed to get some clothes, maybe money.

Opening the closet door, he wrinkled his nose slightly. Damn, this alpha liked black. How emo.

Quickly, he threw on a dark grey t-shirt that read ‘I believe’ on the front, and a pair of boxers and joggers as well. The coarse fabric rubbed his oversensitive skin, and he let out a quiet whine of discomfort. It was too soon to be wearing clothes, but he didn’t have much choice. He needed to leave.

With a huff of breath, he turned towards the small nightstand, opening the drawer nervously. Hopefully there would be money there.

What he found was not money, but it was almost as good.

A small knife, black with purple highlights, glinted in the pale light. Slowly, he hefted it into his palm. It was beautiful. And well-balanced. How’d an alpha in such an average apartment get a knife like this?

He almost shoved it in his pocket before noticing a small sheath that fit the knife perfectly. Happy with his little weapon, he attached it to his hip with a light purr.

There was nothing else of importance in the drawers, so he dragged himself out of the bedroom and into the kitchen area. It was getting harder and harder to stand upright, but he needed to get out of here. If the alpha found him, who knows what would happen.

A quick search of the kitchen offered no results, but he found a dollar bill under the living room couch cushion. Shrugging, he shoved it into his pocket before making his way to the front door. It was unlocked; the alpha must have been in a hurry.

He opened the door warily, peeking his head out to make sure nobody was there. The hallway was blessedly empty, and he slid out of the apartment without a sound.

Walking down the corridor was proving to be much more difficult than he’d originally assumed, and he found himself leaning against the wall weakly, sweat dripping down his face. He was breathing heavily, and the floor kept tilting under his feet. He just needed to get to the end of the hall and down the stairs. Then he could...

Well. He didn’t know what he would do. Maybe go back to his alpha?

A sharp clench in his gut nearly toppled him over. Right. No going back to his alpha. He wasn’t allowed there anymore.

He sunk down the wall, curling into a miserable heap. He’d just take a quick break. A small rest. Then he’d continue.

————

“What’s this? A cute little omega slut come to play?”

Lance groaned, the scent of mud and moss making his head spin.

“C’mon, pretty boy. I’ll take you home and take good care of you.”

Large hands grabbed at his thighs, and he pushed them away weakly. He needed to get up. He needed to fight back. God, he felt like shit.

“Don’t be coy, omega. Knot-sluts like you belong with strong alphas. I’ll take care of you real good.”

The hands were back, and he let out a whimper. The alpha was so strong, and he couldn’t move. Was this what he was destined for? A life passed from alpha to alpha? The thought made him sick.

“Hey, get your hands off him!”

Suddenly the hands were gone. Looking up blearily, he saw flashes of red and black, the colors blurring before him. Crow, it was hard to stay awake.

He must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew he was in the arms of an alpha. This one smelled so good, though, like cinnamon. It made him think of his heat, strangely enough.

Next thing he knew, he was back in his nest. He purred happily, burying himself under the blankets. The alpha smelled good, and it was so nice in the nest. Abandoning his defense, he let sleep overtake him again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooo’s ready for some ANGST

Lance woke up to violet eyes.

“Fuck you.”

Lance blinked. Once. Twice. The alpha continued to glare at him.

“Excuse me?”

The alpha moved closer, his eyes flashing dangerously. Lance gulped, sinking lower into the nest.

“Fuck. You.”

Lance was completely lost here. Was this the alpha that he’d stayed with for his heat? It must be; the familiar nest and bedroom were evidence enough.

“Uh... I don’t think I—“

“You’re an idiot.” The alpha stood abruptly, and Lance watched him with wide eyes. “That alpha beat you within an inch of your life, threw you into the fucking _snow_ , forced you into heat-sickness, and the first thing you do after you wake up is try to run away! We had a bonding moment! I cradled you in my arms! What the fuck were you thinking? This apartment complex is full of alphas; I had to buy _scent blockers_ for you! Not to mention all the pillows and blankets that you _ruined_ , and the time I took off work for this. Don’t _do_ that shit to me, man. I was so...” The alpha’s voice broke, and Lance’s eyes widened even further when he noticed the telltale shimmer of tears. “I was so fucking _scared_.”

Lance was frozen in shock. Was... was this alpha worried about him? The idea was preposterous. He didn’t even know him. Why did he care so much? Who was he?

The sour scent of alpha distress filled the air, and he found himself crawling out of the nest and closer to the alpha. He released calming waves of pheromones, staring at the alpha in concern. He blinked at Lance before giving a watery grin.

“I’m sorry. I just— I haven’t been sleeping much.”

Lance winced. “Sorry.”

“No, no, don’t be. None of this is your fault.” The alpha plopped onto the bed with a sigh. Lance studied him carefully.

“How do you feel?” the alpha asked after a short pause.

Lance took a quick inventory. “A little rough around the edges, but alright,” he shrugged.

“Good,” the alpha sighed, leaning back against the wall. “When I found you... god, there was so much blood. I thought you were dead.”

Lance’s eyes widened. Had it really been that bad?

“At first I thought your ribs were broken, and that your lung was punctured,” the alpha continued, gazing at something in the distance. “You kept spitting out blood. But I think you just bit your tongue too hard, and your ribs just ended up super bruised.” He paused, glancing at Lance. “We could take you to the hospital now that your heat’s over, if you want. I don’t think any of your wounds are that serious, but I get it if you’d rather be sure.”

Lance considered a moment before shaking his head slowly. “Heats are actually pretty useful for injuries. Your body gets so focused on finding a mate that it works extra hard at eliminating flaws. Healing goes a lot faster.”

The alpha cocked his head, confused. “I thought that omegas are more vulnerable during their heats.”

“We are,” Lance agreed. “We can’t defend ourselves or really do anything on our own. But that doesn’t make our bodies weaker, really. More just our minds.”

“So, no hospital.”

“No, I think I’m alright.” Lance shot him a smile, before jutting out his hand. “My name’s Lance, by the way.”

The alpha blinked before grabbing Lance’s hand with a small smile. “Keith.”

“I can’t believe you helped me through my whole heat without even knowing my name,” Lance chuckled.

“Yeah, I can’t believe it either.”

Lance hesitated a moment, not sure if he should ask what was on his mind.

“So, Keith, um...” Keith raised an eyebrow. “Did we, uh, do anything?”

Keith looked confused. “Um... yes?” he answered hesitantly. “We sat at home a lot.”

“No, that’s not- Did we, like... you know, do it?” Keith continued to stare at him blankly. Lance let out a huff of frustration.

“God, Keith, you’re so dumb. Did we fuck?” he spat, his face flushed. Keith’s eyes widened comically, a deep crimson crawling up his face.

“Oh! Oh that, oh my god. Uh, no. Well, not really.” Lance frowned.

“Not really?”

“I, uh, got you off a few times. It was important to get your temperature up, and to get your body back into the heat cycle.”

“Oh,” Lance squeaked, his face on fire.

“Yeah,” Keith agreed, his own cheeks bright. There was a painful stretch of silence. Right when Lance was considering jumping out the window to his death, Keith finally broke the silence.

“Lance... what happened?”

Lance blinked at the sudden change of topic. Keith was staring at him with such concern, and he felt a light curl of pleasure in his stomach.

“I—“

A sharp stab of pain punched him in the gut, and he doubled over with a shout. He was vaguely aware of Keith saying something, a panicked scent filling the air. Right when he was sure that it was the end and he’d die of a mysterious tummy ache, the pain disappeared as quickly as it had come.

“Fuck,” he whimpered, straightening slowly.

“Lance, what happened? Are you ok?”

He nodded, brushing away Keith’s concern. “Yeah, I’m good. Don’t worry about it. I just...” He let out a huff of breath. “I can’t talk about it.”

Keith frowned. “What do you mean you can’t talk about it?”

“I _can’t_ ,” Lance repeated, pleading with his eyes for Keith to understand.

Of course Keith was the dumbest fuck in the world.

“Fine, you don’t have to talk about it. I get it. Just... when you’re ready, I’m here, ok?”

Lance nodded miserably, staring at his hands. The room was silent, and Lance was the one to break it.

“How... how did you find me?”

Keith grimaced, turning away. “Do you remember meeting me? When your heat was just starting?”

Lance blinked. Had he met Keith? He wasn’t sure.

“When you ordered groceries?” Keith prompted. “I delivered them. You made me come into your house because you couldn’t move from your nest, and by the time I left you were completely under. I had some receipts and stuff for you to sign, but you were so out of it that I figured I’d have to forge them or something. Also I was anxious to get out of there, because the whole place reeked like alpha. Like, in a bad way. I don’t know. The more territorial alphas have strong scents like that.”

Lance nodded. He’d had people complain about his alpha’s smell before.

“So I left, but then I realized that I didn’t even know your name. It’s kind of hard to forge a signature without a name. I tried to convince my boss, Allura, to just let it go this one time, but she wasn’t having it. I had to drive all the way back to your house, and I knew you weren’t going to be able to sign, but I figured your mate would be able to do it in your behalf.

“I pulled up to the driveway, and you were just— just like, in the middle of the front lawn, bleeding everywhere and crying, and I tried to get your mate to answer the door, but he never did. It’s probably a good thing; I might’ve killed him. So I took you back to my place and tried to warm you up. I have no idea how long you were out there, but you were so cold. It’s dangerous to get that cold on your heat. You almost died.”

Lance blinked.

“Wow. Thanks for doing that for me.”

“Anyone would’ve done the same,” Keith replied with a shrug. Lance shook his head.

“Not really. I’m an omega. Plus, I was in heat. I think most people would have just taken me home to mate. The fact that you didn’t do that... it means a lot.”

Keith’s eyes darkened. “You shouldn’t have to thank me for being a decent person.”

Lance shrugged. “I didn’t make the rules. This is the world we live in.”

Keith’s eyes darkened even further, and he turned away with a huff. “It’s a shitty one.”

Lance laughed, clear and loud, the sound taking him by surprise. When was the last time he laughed and meant it?

Keith was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face, and Lance felt a flush of embarrassment rise to his cheeks.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, though what he was sorry for he didn’t know.

Keith seemed to agree. “What are you sorry for? Laughing?”

Lance shrugged weakly. “I guess? I just... haven’t done it in a while, I guess.”

Keith growled, and Lance jerked away in surprise. His heart thumped against his chest, and he stared at Keith with wide eyes.

Keith’s hands slapped over his mouth. “Sorry! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” he said, the sound muffled behind his fingers. Lance forced himself to relax, giving a weak chuckle.

“It’s ok. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, it’s not ok,” Keith insisted, his hands dropping to his lap and curling into fists. “I had no good reason to scare you like that. I’m really sorry.”

Lance shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, it’s ok. Really. I’m good.” Keith seemed to relax at that, and Lance took a deep breath. It’s ok. He was fine. Keith wouldn’t hurt him.

But neither would Aeron.

Before he could stop himself, the thick scent of distress filled the air, a sour mixture of mourning, fear, and regret. A soft whimper fell from his lips, and he buried his face into the nest to hide his tears. Keith sat frozen, wide-eyed and unsure, before tentatively placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder.

“Hey, uh, what’s wrong?”

Lance shook his head, refusing to look up at the alpha. He didn’t want to know what he would find.

“Lance...” Keith sighed, and the warm hand on his shoulder slowly moved back and forth, rubbing stress away like magic. Lance couldn’t help but melt into the touch. It was so beautifully selfless. Nothing was expected from him, no payment was required. The gentleness of the strong hands only made his tears worse, and his narrow shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Everything hit him like an emotional tidal wave. The long year of tense kisses and uncomfortable silence, the suppressed fear and betrayal he felt after Aeron’s commands, the awful pre-heat that his mate had ruined, the loss of his one and only supporter. He cried for the loss of his Mark, and how weak he was without it. He cried for this new alpha, an alpha who showed him nothing but kindness. Soft touches and gentle words, and a respect for boundaries that Lance had never seen before. It was too much to take in, and his heart was swelling with pain and relief, grief and gratitude.

He choked out a few “sorry’s,” and Keith replied unfailingly with “you haven’t done anything wrong.”

After far too much time, he managed to bring himself back to some level of composure, lifting himself from the nest to catch a breath of cool air. He kept his face turned away from Keith, embarrassed and ashamed. He really was a useless omega.

Keith’s hand continued its gentle caresses, and Lance unconsciously leaned towards the touch.

“Are you ok?” Keith asked, breaking the silence. Lance sniffed and nodded, staring at a dark spot on the wall.

“I’m sorry,” Keith murmured, and Lance turned to him in surprise. The expression on the alpha’s face looked almost pained, and Lance felt his heart stutter in his chest.

“For what?” he asked, his voice shaky.

“For everything. You shouldn’t have had to go through something like this.”

Lance ducked his head, staring at his lap. He couldn’t keep looking at Keith or listening to his kind words. He’d just start bawling again.

“Can I give you a hug?” Keith’s voice was quiet, almost timid. Lance’s lower lip trembled, and he gave a quick nod, not trusting himself to speak.

Keith scooted closer, eliminating the distance between them in one fell swoop. He leaned forward gingerly, as if approaching something fragile, and wrapped his arms slowly and loosely around Lance’s waist. Lance froze for a moment before relaxing, letting himself lean into the gentle embrace and warm comfort. He buried his face in the crook of Keith’s neck, inhaling deeply the dark scent of cinnamon and mahogany. It only made him relax more, his bones turning to jelly in Keith’s arms. Keith’s grip tightened, pulling him closer until he was almost in the alpha’s lap. A single rebellious tear found its way out of his messily fortified barrier, and he brushed it away weakly.

“You’re ok now,” Keith whispered, rubbing soothing circles against his back. “He won’t ever hurt you again.”

Lance shook his head and shifted impossibly closer, shaking everywhere and not able to stop it.

Something wet dripped onto the back of his neck, and he realized that Keith was crying too. The thought made his heart swell with something like love, while his brain froze in shock at the utter impossibility of the situation. Alphas don’t cry, especially over worthless omegas that can’t keep their emotions in check.

He nuzzled Keith’s neck, and the alpha let out a shaky laugh.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’m here now. I’ll always be here.

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that’s the end!! I know it might seem a little cut off, and I’m still considering adding a chapter or two. For now though, I’m marking it as complete and leaving it be.  
> I’ve gotten a few comments regarding the rules of my particular omegaverse. In response to this, I added another book! It’s called AABAON Bonus Content.  
> I’m also considering adding chapters of scenes from Keith’s point of view, or maybe angsty flashbacks to Lance’s time with Aeron and stuff. Idk.  
> Anyway, just wanted to point you all in that direction if you have any questions. If there’s anything that isn’t addressed in the guide, feel free to comment and ask!  
> I love y’all, thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...you didn’t really think I could leave this fic alone, did you?

Over the next week, Lance and Keith settled into a comfortable, if slightly awkward, routine. Lance would wake up to make breakfast every morning, and Keith would leave for work around 9. Then Lance would spend the day cleaning or organizing various parts of the house (the closet took two whole days) and have dinner ready by 4:30. Keith usually got home at 5, and they’d eat together. After dinner, Keith typically went to his room grumbling about work, and Lance would clean up some more before scouring the internet in search of a job. It wasn’t necessarily that they were avoiding each other, per say, but... well, they kind of were.

After Lance had his stupid meltdown, things had been... strange. Maybe Keith was just emotionally stunted, but he hadn’t made any move to comfort or spend time with Lance since. Lance wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but he was pretty sure he was ruining Keith’s life. After all, it’s not every day that you rescue a broken omega from a crazy alpha and help him into and then out of his heat. Not to mention the fact that Lance had absolutely nowhere to go.

Briefly, Hunk’s face flashed through his mind, but he pushed it away just as quickly. No. Hunk didn’t need to deal with this, and he probably never wanted to see Lance again anyway.

So he was alone, broke, and desperate. He _really_ didn’t want to have to return to a shelter, but... did he really have a choice? He couldn’t stay with Keith forever; he only got in the way. Keith had a whole life ahead of him. Lance had no right to interrupt his life and plant himself in Keith’s home. It wasn’t fair to him.

In an effort to get out of the apartment, he’d been job-hunting a lot. Not many places were especially fond of omegas, though, especially male ones. Something about them being “high maintenance”. Right. More like “genetic mutations”.

It was during one of those times, when Lance was job-hunting and Keith was holed up in the bedroom, that there was a knock on the door. Lance froze. With Aeron, he’d been expected to answer the door and greet the guest. What did Keith expect? Was he supposed to get the door? Sit here and wait? Hide somewhere so they didn’t know there was an omega in the house?

His panic was for nothing, apparently, because before he had a chance to make any of those choices the door was opening on its own.

Or, well, not on its own. There was a person there, undeniably alpha. Lance shrunk into the couch cushion, closing his eyes and willing his scent to remain calm. It dulled a little, but not nearly enough.

“Keith? Are you home?” Lance flinched. The voice was so _deep_.

Faint thumps and curses could be heard from Keith’s room, and he finally burst out the door and into the front room. Lance cowered down further.

“Shiro! I didn’t know you were back in town already!”

Shiro? Oh, so Keith knew this guy. That was good, it wasn’t some random alpha come to steal him away.

Shiro gave a deep (deep) chuckle, and Lance tentatively sniffed at the air. He caught the smell of dark chocolate, with maybe a hint of orange. That was a surprisingly sweet and playful scent for an alpha. He wondered what he was like.

“Shiro, this is Lance. He’s the omega I’ve been helping.”

Suddenly he realized the two alphas were standing in front of him. Damn, he might have gotten a little lost in Shiro’s scent.

Looking up, he took in the alpha’s appearance. He was tall, straight-up ripped honestly, with a strong jaw and warm smile. His eyes were a kind of grey, and a light tuft of white hair fell into his eyes, clashing with his black undercut in a surprisingly pleasant way.

“Nice to meet you, Lance. My name’s Shiro.” Lance blinked, taking the man’s hand and shaking it. It was then he noticed the prosthetic arm, cold against his skin. It was kinda cool looking, actually.

“Uh, yeah, nice to meet you too,” he stammered.

“Shiro’s my older brother,” Keith continued, oblivious to how off-guard Lance was for this conversation. “He moved away a couple months ago, but he still stops by every once in a while.” Lance nodded, gulping a little. The two alpha scents were really, really strong. He hadn’t had to deal with this much alpha in years.

“Keith told me about what happened,” Shiro said, and Lance cringed at the obvious pity in his voice. “I just want you to know that I’m very sorry. Whoever your mate was is a terrible person. In fact, I think you ought to take him to court. He deserves to be punished for his crimes.” Lance blinked in surprise. Why did Shiro care?

“Uh, I mean, it would be nice to know that he didn’t get away with... what happened, but I can’t... I can’t talk about it,” he finished helplessly. Keith, surprisingly, sat next to him, rubbing his arm sympathetically. He couldn’t help but lean into the touch.

Shiro’s brow furrowed.

“Do you mean you can’t talk about it? Or you won’t? Because that’s a pretty serious difference.” Keith’s hand froze on his arm, and Lance swallowed heavily. There was a faint pain in his gut. A warning.

“I can’t,” he replied, studying his hands. Keith took in a sharp breath.

“Lance, did he alpha command you?” he asked furiously. Lance couldn’t meet his gaze. The faint pain was growing by the second.

“I can’t,” he said simply, shaking his head. It was all the confirmation Keith needed.

“That motherfucker!” he shouted, shooting up from the couch. “I swear, I’m going to rip his fucking throat out! No self-respecting alpha would _dare_ —“

“Keith, calm down.” Shiro interrupted. Lance shuddered at the veiled fury he sensed in his voice. “We can’t just march over to his house and kill him, we need to take this up with the law. There’s a lot that could go wrong here.” Keith scowled, but didn’t argue. Lance distantly wondered how Shiro got caught up in this. Why was he even helping? Aeron was not someone to mess with. He was rich, and well-respected. It was bad enough that Keith was dragged into this, but Shiro too? He couldn’t take any more people throwing their lives away for him. Losing time and energy and money on a stupid omega that couldn’t even keep a mate. He took a deep breath. 

“Why are you helping me?”

Shiro and Keith both turned to him with matching looks of confusion and surprise.

“What do you mean?” Keith asked. Lance didn’t meet his eyes.

“I just... You guys don’t need to do this. Ae-“ —a stab of pain— “My mate... well, ex, isn’t worth all the trouble. I doubt the law would be able to touch him anyways. You guys should just leave it. I’m fine.” They stared at him in shock.

“Lance, we can’t just let this go!” Keith fumed. “He beat you! Threw you into the snow while you were on your heat! He alpha commanded you, and I’m guessing by your reactions that it wasn’t a weak command, either. That’s _illegal_ , Lance. We have to take care of this!”

“Keith’s right,” Shiro added. “I know it’s scary to face people after abusive situations-“ Lance flinched, “-but it needs to be done. If he’s in jail, he won’t be able to hurt you.”

They studied him, waiting for an answer.

Lance knew that Aeron deserved to be behind bars. He knew that he was wrong. Losing his Mark hurt, in far more ways than one. But despite that... he still wanted to go back. It was dumb, and he knew it, but Aeron had supported him. Aeron had taken care of him when nobody else would. He owed his life to him, everything he had. It was so easy when he didn’t have to worry about his future. Sure, it was lonely, and he could’ve had more in his life, but it was safe. No unknowns. What was he supposed to do now? Did he really want to put everything he had behind him? Live in Keith’s apartment until he found some crappy job that landed him a crappy apartment and live a crappy life? He just didn’t know anymore.

“Lance...” Keith started, and screw him and his stupidly soothing voice. Keith sunk next to him on the couch again, giving a deep sigh.

“I understand if you don’t want to do this. Really. And if you can’t handle it right now...” He paused, seemingly mustering his courage. “If you can’t do it now, then I’m willing to wait until you can. It’s your decision, Lance. Nobody can force you.”

There he went again. This stupid, _stupid_ alpha. Always with the _choices_ , and the _consent_ , and the kind and thoughtful ideas, Lance just—

He couldn’t. He couldn’t do this to Keith anymore.

He stood from the couch abruptly, Shiro and Keith watching him with wide eyes.

“I need to go for a walk,” he said, his tone clipped. Keith was looking at him with big, violet eyes that felt intimately familiar, but he wouldn’t give in. Not this time. He wouldn’t sacrifice others’ lives for himself ever again.

“Can I come with you?” Keith hedged, and a small part of Lance was begging for him to say yes.

“No, I’m sorry. I just— I need to breathe. Um. Goodbye, Keith. Shiro.” He turned on his heel and beelined for the door. Luckily, nobody stopped him. He wasn’t sure he could keep his resolve much longer.

Then he was out the door. On his own. Just like... just like before. He didn’t own a thing; even the clothes on his back were Keith’s. He made a mental note to return them once he got the chance, and started down the empty street.

He didn’t look back this time, either, but the pain in his heart was somehow worse than it’d ever been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha I’m not crying you are
> 
> So I have a tumblr now! (Yay!) Please check it out, my username is haylches. (Still not sure how to add links so bear with me friends). There’s a pretty important PSA on there, so if you’re wondering about the future of this fic, I urge you to log on and check it out. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!! Y’all are great, xoxo


	6. Chapter 6

Lance took a deep breath, studying the doors in front of him. He’d been here many, many times before, but the building dredged up painful memories of his past. Memories he’d like to forget.

Was he willing to follow this path again?

Shaking away his nerves the best he could, he swung the doors open. A rusty fan sputtered in the corner of the tiny reception room, doing absolutely nothing to dispel the muggy atmosphere. Lance felt a bit of whiplash. Wasn’t it still winter outside?

A petite beta woman sat at the desk, typing away obliviously. He slowly approached, uncharacteristically nervous. He knew what to do. He was used to this.

He was.

He could do this.

The receptionist tore her gaze away from the screen and up to his face.

“You registering?”

He nodded mutely. Her nose twitched as she glanced over his appearance, and one delicate eyebrow arched.

“You can’t come here if you’re bonded.”

He flinched. “I’m, uh. I’m not... bonded. Anymore.”

She seemed to accept that, and turned to rummage through a file cabinet with a sigh.

“Here’s the paperwork you gotta do. Sign your name at the bottom please.”

He signed shakily before sliding the paper back to her.

“That’s all I need, pal. Door’s behind me.”

He nodded again, steeling his resolve. The door opened creakily, and he was immediately hit with a strong feeling of vertigo.

It hadn’t changed.

The hordes of omegas, the crowded tables and miserable scents, the strong smell of heat and sex and sweat and probably more he didn’t want to know about.

His breath came out in short gasps, and he stood rooted in place.

How long had it taken to move past this time in his life? How much money had Hunk paid for his therapy; paid for his food and clothes and housing? How much time had he spent in tears or with nightmares, wanting nothing more than to forget?

This was a mistake. He shouldn’t have come back to this place.

He turned to make a quick getaway, but a large hand grabbed him by the shoulder. He startled, turning to shake himself away, until—

Grey eyes, stormy and dark.

Aeron.

Aeron was here.

The alpha was saying something to him, but there was a loud ringing in his ears.

Aeron wasn’t supposed to be here. He was an alpha. He wasn’t... he couldn’t...

Lance chanced a frantic look at Aeron’s neck. No bond.

No bond, which only meant one thing.

The smell of smoke hit his nostrils then, somehow not noticeable before. And mixed with it... omega.

Aeron had sex with an omega in the shelter. Probably paid them off. He came to the omega shelter and took advantage of someone desperate for money.

He...

He wouldn’t.

Aeron was still talking, and he somehow managed to catch the end of it.

“—missed you, baby. I want us to work this out. What do you say?”

Lance laughed, high and shrill and he wasn’t sure why he was laughing but there it was.

Why did he come here?

“Look, I know I messed up. I really want to make it up to you, baby. I’ll take you out to dinner. Come home with me. I miss you.”

Lance took a single step back, his head shaking slowly. “No. I... You hurt me. And the commands... I can’t go home.”

“Baby, I can fix that. Look. Look at me.”

Lance looked.

“I take back all my commands.”

A deep, twisted knot that Lance hadn’t even realized was there unfurled in his stomach. He took a shuddering gasp, a wave of _rightness_ flowing through him.

“See? All better. Now we can get you home.” Aeron reached for his hand, and Lance let him twist their fingers together. Aeron was leading him away, back to the doors, outside, into his Mercedes.

But.

“What about the omega?” he whispered.

“What was that, baby? I couldn’t hear you.”

“What about the omega?” Lance repeated, louder this time. He turned to look at Aeron’s stricken face. “The omega at the shelter. I can smell them on you. Why did you do that?”

Aeron laughed, and now Lance was even more confused.

“Baby, you think I cheated on you? Aw, honey. No. That’s your thing.”

Lance tensed. Smoky anger was clouding the air, choking him and squeezing his lungs. He took a careful breath.

“I didn’t cheat on you, Aeron.”

“What, just Aeron? Is our relationship so bad that you’re calling me by name now?”

Lance hesitated. “No, Alpha. Darling.”

“That’s more like it. I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I’m willing to forgive you. However, there are consequences for the actions we take.”

They were pulling into the driveway now. The house looked exactly the same, modest and simple. He’d expected it to feel different, somehow.

“I can’t trust you anymore, baby, and that hurts me. It hurts, and that’s why I need to help.”

Aeron’s words were swimming in his head. This felt so... fast. Blurry. He just couldn’t get a grip on what was happening. Was he dreaming?

Aeron tugged him into the house, climbing the stairs to their bedroom.

“I had some workers come by to make some adjustments. After you left me, I knew I had to get you back. I spent days searching, trying to find where you’d gone. But you’d vanished. That’s why I was at the shelter, baby, I was looking for you. I’ve been so worried.”

The door to the bedroom opened, and Aeron dragged him inside.

“Look at what I bought for you, baby.”

Lance looked.

It was... It was a cage. An honest to god, person-sized metal cage, with a huge padlock and chains and—

This was bad.

Lance wrenched his hand out of Aeron’s grip, shoving the alpha away as hard as he could. He didn’t look to see how successful he’d been, he just ran. Out the bedroom door, down the stairs, almost to the front door he was so close so _close_ —

Aeron launched into him with a growl, and Lance yelped as they slammed into the floor.

“You think you’re clever, huh? Gonna run back to that alpha? Go cry for comfort like the miserable wreck you are?”

Lance let out a sob. Aeron’s arms were so strong, and none of his kicking or punching was doing anything.

“I know who he is.”

Lance stilled.

“Keith Kogane. Works at the Altea Market, makes just a little above minimum wage. God, his scent is all over you. It’s _disgusting_. He’s an orphan, y’know, which isn’t very surprising. I’d kill myself, too, if I gave birth to such a pathetic piece of shit.”

Lance screamed, fury hitting him full-force. Aeron had no right to say those things; to talk about Keith that way. Keith was one of the best things that had ever happened to him, and Lance was here because he wanted to _protect_ him.

He thrashed in Aeron’s grip, biting down on one huge arm. The alpha swore, and the arms around him were suddenly gone. Lance didn’t look back, didn’t wait to see what happened. He just ran.

The door was right there and he flung it open. He was outside in the snow and everything was a blur of white except—

Black. The car.

He threw himself into the drivers door, fingers fumbling as he searched for the lock switch.

He found it and pressed it and then Aeron was at the window, growling and tugging on the handle and Lance was frozen, couldn’t move, just stared as Aeron pounded on the glass and snarled at him and then he knew.

Aeron didn’t love him.

He didn’t love Aeron.

Aeron _would_. He would, he would, over and over until Lance had nothing left. He _would_ do it, and he _had_ done it, and there was no excuse anymore.

Lance had to leave. He wanted...

He wanted to go home.

The key twisted in the ignition, and the car purred to life beneath him. Aeron was shouting something, but Lance blocked him out. He was done with this. Done with Aeron. Done, done, done.

He pulled out of the driveway with Aeron’s roars echoing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha this chapter was fun to write. Screw Aeron, tho, he’s the worst.  
> Lmk what you thought :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh I’m pretty sure this is the longest chapter I’ve ever written.  
> Enjoy the happy feelings :))

Lance pulled into the familiar driveway, studying the cheery yellow home. There were roses out front now, which was new, and a tire swing hung from the oak tree. The sun set in the distance, leaving the scene painted with swatches of gold and pink.

Lance took a deep breath. There was a huge chance that Hunk never wanted to see him again. He... He said some pretty terrible things, and regretted all of them. Hunk had been right in the end. Rolo _had_ been a piece of shit. Lance had just been to damn stubborn to apologize or accept defeat.

Slowly, he opened the car door and stepped out. He was going to apologize. Hunk might sneer or yell or slam the door in his face, but he had to make things right. His life was a mess, but he was going to figure it out. First Aeron. Now Hunk. After that... He wasn’t sure. Maybe he’d apologize to Keith, too. Heaven knows he’d burdened the poor alpha enough.

Pushing his thoughts away, he raised a fist above the wooden door. He could do this. Just knock, and apologize.

He knocked.

There was a faint sound of movement beyond the door, mixed with voices. Lance steeled himself, and the door opened.

“Lance?”

His jaw dropped.

“Keith?”

The alpha stood in the doorway, his face red and puffy and completely shocked. His black shirt was crumpled, and his hair was sticking out everywhere. In short... he looked like a mess. Lance blinked.

“What... What? What are you doing here? Isn’t this... Hunk?” His voice trailed off uncertainly.

“You know Hunk?” Keith demanded, still staring at him with wide eyes. Before he could respond, a familiar voice cut in.

“Keith, who’s at the door? If it’s Coran you should just let him in, I’ve forgiven him for the parsley incident.”

Keith didn’t reply. His huge eyes were locked on Lance’s, and before he knew it Lance was wrapped in his arms.

“What were you _thinking_?” Keith’s body shook with sobs, and Lance stood frozen in surprise. “You _idiot_. I’m... I’m so sorry, this was all my fault. Me and Shiro shouldn’t have— have pushed it, a-and I should have gone on your walk with you, I was _so scared_.”

Lance blinked, then hesitantly placed his hands on Keith’s back. He rubbed small circles into the black fabric, releasing what he hoped was a calming scent.

“Keith? Who is it?”

Keith pulled himself away, sniffling heavily and scrubbing at his face. Lance... really didn’t understand it. Keith didn’t even know him! He—Why did this keep happening?

Loud footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and Lance tensed. He knew them. He knew who was coming. The steps turned the corner, and then—

Hunk.

He looked almost exactly the same. Same gentle eyes, large smile. He might have bulked up a little, maybe grown an inch, but it was undeniably him. 

Lance stood rooted in place as Hunk’s eyes found his. His face paled, and his mouth parted in shock. Lance couldn’t move. Surely, Hunk would kick him out. Slam the door. Punch him. Anything.

Hunk broke the spell, stepping towards him with large strides. Lance flinched and closed his eyes, preparing for the punch that was coming. The punch he deserved.

Warm arms draped around him. He... what?

“Lance... holy shit.”

Hunk was... he was hugging him. Not punching. He could smell the familiar vanilla of his scent, and he belatedly realized that there were tears soaking into Hunk’s yellow sweater.

“Lance, I’m so glad you’re ok. I’m so sorry,buddy. For everything. I’m so glad you’re safe, oh my god.”

Lance was shaking, he could feel it, but it wouldn’t stop. A sob escaped him, and he buried his head in Hunk’s chest.

“Hunk, don’t be sorry. M’sorry, it was all me, I was so dumb and I missed you so much—“

“Sh, sh. Don’t worry, Lance. We can talk later, but right now we need to get you inside. You smell... off.” He pulled away, holding Lance at arm-length and studying him carefully. Lance gave him a watery smile, and his eyes softened in relief.

“C’mon, we have snacks. Keith was hopeless, I had to bust out my inner omega.”

Lance chuckled shakily, letting Hunk lead him into the house. Keith trailed behind him uncertainly, fidgeting with his hands and keeping close to Lance’s side. Lance took pity on him and reached out his hand. Keith took it gratefully, and Lance felt a tingle run up his arm and down his spine.

Woah. What _was_ that?

Still reeling from _whatever that was_ , he hardly registered when Hunk set him on the couch.

“Alright, Lance. The eight of us have done enough worrying to last us a month. Spill. Keith says you were just fine earlier, until you _ran away_ , but something obviously happened. You look like you’ve seen a ghost, there’s a freaking _Mercedes_ in my driveway, and you smell like you’ve been camping for twelve years without a shower. We can talk later, but right now we need to know that you’re safe. What happened?”

Lance shook himself out of his Keith-induced stupor and finally took a good look around. His breath was nearly knocked out of him.

Allura and, best of all, _Shay_ were sitting on the loveseat opposite him with a tiny little black-haired rascal squeezed in between. He must have been... what, two now? Maybe three? He looked just like Shay, but Lance could see Hunk’s nose and eyes in him too.

He ripped himself away from _that_ emotional turmoil and scanned the rest of the room. Shiro was standing near the TV-stand, close to the loveseat. His brow was pinched with concern, and Lance felt a tight pang of guilt. The wall opposite Shiro had Pidge sitting cross-legged against it. She was studying him with some kind of pained look on her face, and he knew he’d need to talk to her later.

Tearing his gaze away, he moved his attention to focus on his hand, wrapped tightly with Keith’s slender fingers. Hunk was a huge, solid presence on his left, and he could feel and (best of all) smell Keith on his right. It was grounding, and he took a shuddering breath of preparation.

“I... I’m sorry,” he started. Might as well do this right. “I’m so sorry for worrying all of you. I’m sorry for... for everything. I’ve done a lot of crap.” He paused, and chanced a brief glance at the others. Compassion and concern filled every face, and he quickly returned his gaze to his lap.

“Today... oh god, where do I even start...”

“Start at where you went when you said you were going for a walk,” said Keith, somewhat accusingly. Lance gulped, and nodded.

“Right. Um, I went to the omega shelter.”

There was an immediate chorus of “What!” and “Lance!”, and he winced.

“I know, I know. It was... stupid. But I didn’t want to burden Keith anymore.” Keith’s hand tightened around his own, and a choked off growl escaped Keith’s lips.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

Lance took a deep breath. “Um, yeah. So I went to the shelter, but I realized when I got there that I really, really didn’t want to be there. Ever. Um, so I was about to leave, but then Aeron—“

Lance cut off, suddenly realizing that none of them knew who Aeron was. Keith and Shiro knew a bit about the situation, but they never knew his name.

Had Aeron really kept him isolated for that long? He’d been his _mate_. For a _year_. A whole year, and none of his friends had any idea. His gut clenched, and he let out a quiet whine.

Keith reached out another hand, silently asking permission. Lance nodded, and Keith readjusted to have one hand holding Lance’s and the other rubbing his back soothingly.

“Sorry,” Lance choked out. “I guess... most of you don’t know about this.” Keith tensed next to him. “I had a mate. For a year.”

There was an audible gasp, and he looked up to see nothing but wide eyes.

“His name was Aeron,” he continued. Keith was stiff next to him, barely-suppressed anger rolling off of him in waves.

“He was... not a very good mate,” he finally said, and Keith snorted. “He worked a lot, and got angry really easily. I got my heat, and—“ he choked off. He couldn’t do this.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered. “I can’t... I can’t talk about this.”

“It’s ok, Lance. We know he alpha-commanded you,” Keith reassured, and everyone who did _not_ , in fact, know that particular piece of information, shifted uncomfortably.

“No,” Lance shook his head tearily. “He took it back.”

Keith whirled to face him, eyes wide. “He what?”

“He took it back. Today. At the shelter.”

“He was at the shelter? And he _took it back_? Why?” Keith demanded. Lance shrugged.

“I couldn’t go to his house until he did.”

Keith really did growl this time, but Lance didn’t flinch away. He understood. Keith wasn’t angry with him. He took a shaky breath, tightening his grip on Keith’s hand.

“He was at the shelter when I was there, and he told me that he missed me and wanted me back, and I was so confused, but I went with him. I guess... I guess I hadn’t been ready to let go.” He refused to look up after that. “He brought me to his house and— and he had a cage, with a lock and oh _god_ —” Lance broke off into heaving sobs, and Keith snapped.

Before he knew it, he was curled up in Keith’s arms. The alpha was holding him tightly, almost too tightly, but it wasn’t bad. Anger was practically pouring out of him, but he was safe here. Keith would protect him.

He clutched at Keith’s shirt, tucking his head under the alpha’s chin and letting go of the emotions he’d been stifling. He would probably be embarrassed about this later, but for now? He needed this. Needed to be held, to be safe, to know that nothing could hurt him or get even close to where he was. Not with Keith here.

The growls were so constant now, it was almost like Keith was purring. He idly wondered why his instincts weren’t forcing him to cower or submit, but he pushed that away for now.

“That fucker,” Keith spat out between growls. He buried his face in Lance’s hair, and the growls somehow got worse.

“Fuck, I can _smell_ him. My nose has been clogged up for hours and it’s still bad enough to make me hurl.”

“Please don’t,” Lance mumbled from the comfort of his arms. The growls paused for a moment and Keith chuckled, before hugging Lance somehow even closer to him.

“I’m gonna fuck him up,” he muttered into Lance’s hair. Lance heard a heavy sigh, and assumed it was Shiro. For some reason that was endlessly funny to him, and then he was laugh-sobbing, and Keith was stroking his hair and rubbing his back and nuzzling him, and it was just so _right_.

“How did you get away?” Hunk asked. His voice was worried, but soft. Lance pulled his head up enough that everyone would be able to hear him. 

“He tried tackling me, but I bit him and ran outside to the car. Drove it here.”

Keith’s scent changed so fast he got whiplash.

“You fought him off? There was an alpha pinning you down and you _got away_?”

“Um... yeah? It wasn’t really anything special—“

“Lance! Fuck! That’s so badass! You are the fucking coolest omega I’ve ever met.”

Lance blushed, his inner omega preening at the praise.

“Language,” Shiro reprimanded. “There’s a child here.”

“Sorry, Shiro,” Keith mumbled, and he tucked Lance’s head under his chin again.

At this point, Lance felt like he could die happy. He’d honestly never felt so loved in his whole life. He was surrounded by warmth, and he felt so safe, and there were soothing voices all around him, and he was so emotionally drained that he just wanted to sleep for a year.

His eyes drifted shut, and he almost shocked himself into opening them again when he noticed a weird sound. It was... purring. He was purring.

Had he ever purred before?

He decided again that he was too tired to deal with any more questions, and he let himself fall into the warm embrace of sleep.

Keith purred back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! He’s making up with everyone and it’s all coming together!! Now we just need to sic Keith on Aeron and I can be happy
> 
> Follow me on tumblr (haylches)! I love to hear what you guys think!
> 
> Oh also: I’m realizing that the chapters in the bonus content have actually just gotten to be actual content hahaha. I’m trying to decide if I should just leave it be? Or move some chapters into this book?   
> Idk, it’s kinda up in the air. Just know that the chapters in the bonus content will probably really help clear up any confusion about the state of Lance’s relationships 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	8. Chapter 8

When Lance woke up, he was in his old room. The familiar blue wallpaper and faded quilt made something warm ignite in his chest, and he smiled into the pillow he was snuggled against. It was comfy, and familiar, and it smelled like cinnamon, and--

Wait. 

Cinnamon?

The pillow underneath him shifted, and he let out a startled yelp, jerking his chin up to meet Keith’s wide eyes.

“Shit, sorry, did I wake you up?”

Lance moved his mouth soundlessly, trying to understand what Keith was doing  _ here _ . With him. In bed. Didn’t he have better things to be doing?

Keith’s gaze darted down to his lips, then back to his eyes. He looked thoroughly uncomfortable. “Are you ok? Sorry, I can leave, you fell asleep and wouldn’t let go of my shirt, so I just kind of sat down here with you? Ugh, I probably shouldn’t have done that. I’ll just leave, I’m sorry…” He continued to apologize, shuffling around until he was standing, about to leave the room. Lance’s brain seemed to finally turn on at that, and he darted his hand out to grab a fistful of Keith’s shirt. His rant cut off, and he turned to look at Lance with wide, vulnerable eyes. 

“What are you doing?” Lance asked. Keith blinked.

“Um… Leaving?” 

Lance smiled softly. It would have sounded sarcastic in any other situation, but the soft words were anything but. It was a question; a search for permission. 

“You’re not going anywhere.” 

He pulled the alpha onto the bed, and Keith let out a little squeak of surprise. He landed in a heap, crushing Lance under his surprising weight. It wasn’t bad, though. It was… pretty nice, actually. They were nose to nose, Keith’s arms supporting him on either side of Lance’s head. His face was unsure, tentative, but hopeful. Lance smiled.

“Hey.”

Keith smiled back softly. “Hi.”

Lance blinked, biting his lip nervously. “So. Um… We should talk.” 

Keith’s brow furrowed, his smile disappearing all too soon. Lance missed it already.

“What about?”

Lance let out a shaky breath. “What are we?” 

Keith gulped, and Lance watched his Adam’s apple bob. He took a steadying breath before continuing. “I know it sounds crazy, but you’re kind of the best alpha I’ve ever met in my life. And for the first time… I want to be with you because I like you, not because I don’t want to be on the streets. I want to get to know you better. I want to see you around places. I want to go on dates. So… what do you want?”

“I…” Keith’s mouth pinched into a tiny frown. “I really like you, Lance. You’re really cool. Um. I suck at words and stuff, but I want to get to know you better, too. So. Maybe we should do that?”

Lance smiled, wide and brilliant. “Yeah. Maybe we should.”

There was a moment of silence. Lance lost himself in violet eyes, remembering everything Keith had done for him. He took him to his apartment for no reason other than to help. He kept him healthy and safe, and didn’t take advantage of him. He actually cared about how Lance felt, and what Lance thought. It was so bizarre and beautiful and strange. Almost like a fairytale.

Lance thought about his dreams from when he was younger: Dreams that an alpha would love him. Dreams that he could be worth more than his body. Dreams that he could be happy. Dreams that an alpha would sweep him off his feet and they could live happily ever after. 

He’d been able to keep it all a dream. But with Keith… he wondered if maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched. Maybe it was possible to find love; to be happy. 

Maybe Keith was what he’d been looking for all along.

“You’re not like other alphas, Keith,” he murmured, gazing up at the alpha fondly. Keith grinned.

“You’re not like other omegas.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Lance cocked an eyebrow, smirking.

“Fuck no,” Keith breathed.

They stayed like that for a moment longer, staring at each other and grinning stupidly. 

And then the moment was broken in the best way.

Keith leaned down, and before Lance could even properly burn the image into his memory they were kissing.

Keith’s lips were dry and a little chapped, but Lance couldn’t even find it in himself to care because it was Keith. It was so different from any kiss he’d ever had with Aeron. It was soft and gentle, no teeth or crushing pressure. No demanding tongue or bruising grip. No growls or stifling scent or pulled hair or bleeding lips.

Just Keith, with his gentle hands and warm lips and spicy scent.

Keith pulled away first, his lips red and swollen and cheeks flushed. Lance stared up at him in awe, chest heaving and heart pounding.

“Fuck,” Keith whispered. Lance wholeheartedly agreed.

He was about to reach up for another kiss when the door flew open with a bang. Keith jerked away, scrambling off the bed and staring at the door with wide eyes.

“Gross,” said Pidge, standing in the doorway. Lance felt his face heating up, and he looked away sheepishly. 

“What?” Keith shot back defensively. Pidge rolled her eyes.

“Chill, Casanova. I just want to talk to Lance.”

He hesitated, glancing back and forth between the two. Lance nodded at him reassuringly.

“Ok,” Keith finally said. “I’ll be out with Hunk.”

He stood and padded out of the room. Lance missed him already.

Pidge plopped onto the bed, and he tucked his knees up under his chin.

“You ok?”

He hesitated. The question was a simple one, but he felt like any answer he gave wouldn’t be the truth.

“I will be,” he finally said. Pidge nodded with a sigh.

“Keith’s a good guy. You can trust him.” 

Lance smiled softly. “I know.”

“So what now?” Pidge asked after a beat of silence. Lance sighed, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. His old glow-in-the-dark stars were still up there, glowing weakly. 

What  _ was _ he going to do now? He was still completely broke and helpless. Nobody wanted to hire him. He didn’t have a house. He had nothing. He was completely alone.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, letting out a huff of breath. “I don’t have anywhere to stay. I don’t have any money. No one will hire me. I’m kind of stuck right now, and I might just have to go back to the shelt--”

He was cut off when Pidge punched him in the arm. Hard.

“Ow! Pidge, what the heck!” 

“You’re so stupid! Lance! I can’t believe I’m friends with you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you really think you’re alone in this?”

He paused. Wasn’t he? He didn’t have a mate or a family. Nobody was obligated to take care of him. He’d always been alone.

“Yes?” he ventured. Pidge punched him again.

“Ow!”

“You’re not alone, you idiot! Hunk and Keith would both gladly let you stay with them. Although Hunk might be the better option, seeing how he actually has the money to support you long-term.”

He blinked. Oh. Hunk actually wanted him around? 

“And if you want a job that badly, Allura was talking about getting you a job at the Altea Market. It’s not much, but it pays minimum wage. That’s better than lots of omega jobs. You could pay Hunk rent if you really felt the need to be independent or whatever.”

Now  _ that  _ was a big deal. A job would get him on his feet. He would actually be able to support himself for once.

“And the rest of us are here for you too. Coran’s pretty set on scheduling more appointments and stuff with you, free of charge. Said he missed talking to you. Oh, and that big alpha? Shiro? He’s started the process to get Aeron arrested. And me and Keith would kill anyone who even suggested the shelter as an option. We’d kill Aeron, too, but Shiro says we can’t.”

Lance was frozen in shocked surprise. He didn’t… he didn’t deserve any of that.

“No, Lance. I can read your stupid thoughts on your stupid face. We’re doing this because we  _ want _ to. We care about you. You deserve to live in a house and have a steady job and all that other stuff. Let us  _ help  _ you.”

He shook his head, chuckling wetly. Tears blurred his vision, and he sniffled pathetically. 

“I mean it, Lance. I know it’s hard to knock it through your thick skull, but we want to be here. Don’t push us away again. All I need is a yes or no.”

He risked a glance at her face. Her lips were pursed, and she was glaring at him lovingly.  _ That  _ was a patented Pidge expression.

He considered what she said. His friends… did they actually think that? Did they really care so much? Did he really deserve their kindness after everything he did?

He didn’t know. But maybe it was something he could figure out. Maybe he could wait and see. If they were willing to give him a second chance, he shouldn’t throw it away.

“Ok,” he finally whispered, nodding through his tears. Pidge grinned, big and bright.

“Great! Now let’s get out there. Everyone’s missed you, and you better believe that they’re gonna tell you all about these last couple years. So much has happened, man.” Pidge grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him out into the living room.

He smiled. Maybe things would turn out ok after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada!! Next is the epilogue, folks. Thanks so much for reading, lmk what you thought!!


	9. Chapter 9

**3 Years Later**

 

“Keeeeiith…” Lance spun in his chair, throwing his head back. Keith looked up from his phone, a barely-concealed smirk dancing on his lips.

“What.”

“I’m so booored.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “That sounds like a Lance problem.”

Lance gasped in mock offense. “Rude! I’ll have you know that as my _husband_ , any problem of mine is automatically a problem of yours.”

“Great,” Keith deadpanned. “A free subscription to a never-ending supply of complaints that I never signed up for.”

“It’s all part of the package, babe,” Lance said with a wink. Keith really did smile at that.

“You keep saying these things like I should be grateful for them.”

“Aren’t you?”

Keith pretended to think for a moment. “Well… as long as I get to have you, I guess I am.”

Oh.

Lance blushed, and he glared at his husband from beneath his fingers. “Keith. Quit it with the cutesy stuff.”

“Nope,” Keith replied, popping the ‘p’. “You’ve never had an alpha do this stuff with you before. It’s my duty to make up for lost time.”

“You’re gross.”

“You like it.”

“Shut up.”

Keith chuckled, turning back to his phone. All at once, his smile melted away, and he frowned at the screen.

“Keith? What’s wrong?” Lance asked, studying Keith’s expression carefully.

“It’s… It’s nothing,” Keith replied, avoiding eye contact. Lance narrowed his eyes, and moved over to sit on the couch next to Keith.

“I know you better than that. What’s wrong?”

Keith sighed, looking up at Lance with a pained expression. “Do you really want to know?”

Lance hesitated then. Keith must have been protecting him from something. He had that _face_ , the one that made Lance simultaneously want to punch him and kiss him. But anything Keith could handle, he could handle. He didn’t need to be sheltered.

“Yes,” he finally said. Keith gave him one last sad look before heaving a huge sigh.

“Yeah, I should have known you’d say that.” He picked at his nails nervously, and Lance waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts. “I, uh, was reading a news article. Um. It’s Aeron. They’re releasing him in a couple days.”

Lance froze.

_No no no no no no no no--_

“Lance? Lance, it’s ok. He can’t get you here. You’re safe.”

Lance couldn’t breathe. The scent of smoke filled the air, and he choked on it helplessly. Aeron. Aeron was going to be out there, out in the world. If he ever found Lance, what would he do? How would he react? Lance wouldn’t be able to stop him from dragging him back to the house, back to the cage and the chains and the smoky rooms. He’d commanded him before, he’d do it again. He’d be more careful, though. Lance would be stuck. He’d be stuck with him and he’d be totally helpless, and there would be nothing he could do, he’d be all alone and with _Aeron_ \--

“Lance. Lance, look at me.”

Somehow he managed to find Keith’s eyes. He couldn’t _breathe_.

“Hey. You’re ok. Can I touch you?”

_No no no no no no--_

“Ok, that’s ok. Just look at me. I’m here. You’re here with me, you’re home. Just breathe.”

He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t. There was so much smoke, it was choking him--

“No, Lance. Open your eyes. I’m right here, and he can’t hurt you here. You’re safe. You’re ok.”

Lance kept his focus on those beautiful eyes. The world was spinning and he felt light-headed, but Keith was here. Keith would protect him.

“Lance, can I touch you now?”

Lance nodded jerkily. He needed to know Keith was there. He needed to feel him.

“You’re ok. I’m going to protect you, okay? You’re fine.”

Something was holding his hand. Keith.

“K-Keith, I can-can’t--”

“Shh, it’s ok. I’m here. Just focus on me. Breathe.”

Lance gripped the hand entwined with his tightly, trying to bring his breathing back to normal. He was ok. Keith was here. Everything would be alright.

“That’s it. You’re ok.”

Lance took a deep, hitching breath. “Keith…”

“There you go. That’s my boy.”

Lance slumped forward, curling into Keith’s lap. He reveled in the feeling of Keith’s arms around him, his heart pumping under his ear. He would be ok. Keith would protect him.

He stayed like that for what felt like hours, slowly bringing his breathing back to normal.

“I’m sorry, Lance. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Lance sighed shakily. “No, no. I’m glad you told me. I’m sorry I freaked out.”

Keith pushed him back, meeting his eye angrily. “Don’t you dare apologize. You have a right to your feelings, Lance. You’re still healing. That was totally out of your control, and you know it.”

Lance smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Thanks for your help, Keith.”

Keith’s lips curved into a fond smile. “No problem.”

“Ugh. I hate when this happens. I feel so _drained_.”

Keith chuckled. “Well, how about I make dinner tonight? Hana should be back from Hunk’s any minute, and I bet she’ll be hungry.”

Lance shot up straight on the couch, gasping loudly. “Are you serious? Don’t you remember what happened the _last_ time you made dinner? The landlord will never forgive us if we have to call the fire department again.”

“It wasn’t my fault! The stove went crazy; I told you!”

“That’s what they all say, Keithy.”

“I’m serious! I can cook!”

“Mm, better leave the cooking to the omega, Keith. It’s in my genes.”

Keith groaned, sinking back into the couch cushions. “I can cook,” he mumbled grumpily. Lance laughed.

“I believe you, dear. Now help me get up, I need to get started on the food.”

Keith stood up from the couch, but instead of helping Lance up like a _normal person_ , Lance found his feet lifted off the ground and suddenly he was being held in the air.

“Keith!”

“I don’t care what you say. I can cook and I’m making dinner tonight.”

Lance rolled his head back, laughing. “No, Keith! You can’t!”

“I can and I will. You’re going to go to bed and take a nap, and I’ll take care of everything. Okay?”

Lance looked up into Keith’s stern eyes, lips quirked into a smile. Holy crow, he loved this man.

“Okay.”

Keith’s eyes lit up, and a huge grin split his face. “Oh! Okay! I knew you’d agree with me! You deserve your rest, and--”

He was cut off when Lance reached up, pulling him into a kiss.

“There,” Lance said, breaking away. “Now go make dinner. I need my beauty rest.”

Keith smiled, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “Don’t act like it wasn’t my idea.”

“I do what I want.”

“Yes, I am very aware.”

Lance laughed, nuzzling into his husband’s chest.

This was what he’d been searching for. This was what he’d wanted all along. He had a family, a job, a beautiful husband, and a huge network of support. And all at once, it hit him: It didn’t matter that Aeron was released. He was happy here. He had people to support him. He was moving forward, building up a life from nothing. The past was in the past, just like it had always been. It festered behind him, but it didn’t matter, because he was looking to the future.

And Lance refused to look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it!! For reals this time haha. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMENTS I LOVE THEM  
> Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya in 18 months :)
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO: I snuck some stuff into this chapter that I don't want to go unnoticed (cuz im selfish idk man) so here you go:   
> Some cool things:  
> Lance and Keith adopted a girl and named her after Lance's sister (the one who gave him food when he was kicked out).  
> Keith avoids using pet-names, because Lance's experience with them is real bad (with both Rolo and Aeron).  
> Aeron was in jail for three years, which is the max amount an alpha can go for commanding an omega. That means that the court case went well, although they couldn't charge him for anything besides the alpha commands.  
> Hunk's son (still unnamed cuz idk man) and Hana get along super well. Best friends. She was at Hunk's place hanging out with him.  
> Just... the fact that Keith lived alone for like years and really CAN cook, ok. He made it that long. But I love the idea that the one time he cooked for Lance, he botched it up and is now not allowed to cook anymore.  
> Also, the whole 'never looking back' thing is a recurring element. It's most noticeable in the chapter when Hunk and Lance fight, but this was the first time Lance didn't look back and was actually happy. So bless him for moving on in a healthy way.  
> Also Lance's personality shift? Like he's actually happy and acting more like canon Lance, so yay for healing!  
> Anyways, those are my hidden gems. Thanks for reading, folks!


End file.
